Vacations help boost the production of white blood cells in the body, giving a fillip to the immune system and eventually leading to better health.

According to a new study, holidays aren’t just relaxing but can go a long way in improving your health. It should be prescribed for sick people, it adds.

Being in an environment that stimulates curiosity could turbo-charge the immune system, quoted the Daily Mail.

For the study, the researchers took mice which were given a two-week stay in a large cage packed with toys and the exciting environment appeared to boost their white blood cells, which fight off infections.

The researcher suggested that prescribing a holiday could help the sick recover more quickly -- and even give worn-out office workers a new lease of life.

“We could boost the effects of standard drug treatments that deal with the mechanics of infection, by also offering something environmental that improves a patient’s more general well-being. That might be a promising approach for treating chronic diseases,” D’Acquisto said.